As a football-loving, born and bred Derbiean, there is one word which can stir the emotions like few others – pride.

I’m making no claim that pride is a concept exclusively for Derbieans, but it is a word synonymous with the home of Derby County Football Club, and as a long-suffering fan, it is a constant reminder of home for me.

Of course, we all have things in our lives which we are rightly proud of. And with recent developments professionally, I have had cause to reflect on those things which make me proud.

Scenariio has been around for 8 years now and a major source of pride for me, and one I seldom make much of, is that for the last 4 of those years, my son George has been Technical Director, driving forward the smart technology side of the business. It has been fantastic to see him grow into the role and help push the business forward. His reputation in, and knowledge of, the smart technology sector has seen us forge key partnerships with international suppliers.

As any readers familiar with Scenariio will know, we have been based in Marble Hall since August 2017. This building always had special meaning to me as it is where my uncle worked, reasonably high up in the Rolls Royce hierarchy – the original home of one of the world’s most recognisable brands and engineering companies. The whole of Derby swells with pride at the achievements of this company, the fact its global headquarters are based here, and its long association with the city and I am no different. The fact my uncle and many of my close family members were so heavily involved in the business is the cherry on top of the cake and the closest I got to following those illustrious steps.

So, it would take something quite special to take me away from somewhere that means so much, and this month I’m delighted to announce that Scenariio is set to move into The Chocolate Factory in Derby city centre. This is a fantastic move for the business, that provides us with the perfect opportunity to showcase the smart technology and intelligent infrastructure we offer in our own premises. I cannot wait to open the doors, get the team, which has recently grown, in, and to start welcoming people to have a look around.

However, this is not the whole story. In addition to our space in this large industrial building, I am delighted to say that we will be sharing with Bustler Market. For those unaware, Bustler is an award-winning street food market that has attracted over 100,000 customers since opening in 2017, and run by my daughter, Olivia. 

I am now in the position of seeing my business in Derby city centre, which has always been home to me and my family. In addition to growing Scenariio with my son, I am now going to be working closely with my daughter, supporting her business by fitting out the space with the latest technology, creating the biggest events space to hire in Derby.

After reflecting on getting to this point, and contemplating the exciting months and years to come, I am incredibly excited and proud at seeing how my family are working together to make its mark on the city, and know how fortunate I am to have this wonderful opportunity.

Now if Wayne Rooney can keep the Rams up this season, perhaps Pride Park Stadium can look ahead to living up to its name in the months ahead too.